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When Is Lent 2012?

By , About.com Guide

Ash Wednesday 2008 at Saint Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

A woman prays after receiving ashes on her forehead in observance of Ash Wednesday at Saint Louis Cathedral, February 6, 2008, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Question: When Is Lent 2012?
Lent is the season of penance and prayer before Easter. When is Lent 2012?
Answer: Lent starts every year on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday 2012 falls on February 22, 2012, and Holy Saturday 2012 falls on April 7, 2012.

While Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and prayer, there are 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (inclusive). For an explanation of the discrepancy, see How Are the 40 Days of Lent Calculated?

More FAQs About Lent:

FAQs About Ash Wednesday:

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